If you are concerned about costs and whether your car accident settlement will also provide full coverage for local chiropractic treatments, the legal answer is yes.
When you have ever been in a car accident, you are already aware of how pain and discomfort can surface well after the day of the accident. Sadly, far too many car accident victims try to tough it out rather than listening to their bodies to get help. After having suffered a personal injury in a car accident, one of the best ways to not only feel better but also help your personal injury case is to seek out treatment by a chiropractor nearby.
If you have been hurt in an auto accident and in need to be treated by a local chiropractor in the area, you may be inquiring for who pays all the medical bills for your chiropractor appointments. In most car accident lawsuit settlement cases, the person who is at fault for the causing the accident, or their auto insurance company, will pay for all chiropractor costs.
Should You Seek Treatment from a Chiropractor?
Even if you are not experiencing significant pain at the time and think you can recover on your own, seeing a chiropractor after a car accident is a good idea. This will give the doctor the opportunity to examine you immediately to diagnosis any existing and/or potential problems in the future. This would especially be the case when you are the plaintiff in the case, as you will want to have all bases covered when this case goes before a judge.
The best way to prevent long-term problems is by receiving proactive treatment. In some of the most common injuries in car accidents, such as whiplash, seeking early care right away can offer immediate relief.
One of the more recommended methods of treatment for injuries such as whiplash is chiropractic care. The doctor can use a variety of pain management techniques, such as laser therapy, ultrasound, and adjustments to relieve the pain.
Chiropractors can also treat areas you believe to be common stiffness after such an accident. That stiffness could actually be a warning sign of a much larger problem, so, as we mentioned above, it is better to play it safe and seek treatment than to simply tough this out on your own.
How Can Chiropractic Care Help?
In terms of treatment, it would mean immediate relief of pain. But there is another benefit… it will help your case.
When seeking chiropractic care after an auto accident that resulted in an injury, we recommend seeking the advice of a car accident attorney right away. Why are we mentioning this here? Because the attorney can help with your care.
Many personal injury attorneys will already have recommended doctors they know and trust. More importantly, these doctors will often work with the attorney regarding billing and case management. Rather than you having to pay the upfront costs of care and managing all of the records, the attorney can sometimes work out an arrangement with the chiropractor.
As the patient, you can now concentrate on getting better and have the stress removed of having to accumulate and organize the files as well as paying these medical bills, especially if your insurance will not cover the bills or you have a high deductible. If the case is a strong one and there is an existing relationship between the attorney and the doctor, the medical bills may be able to be paid after the settlement is reached.
Impacting Your Personal Injury Settlement with Chiropractic Care
While there may be a ballpark “average” settlement in personal injury cases for auto accidents, you surely understand every case is different. Some of the factors that influence the final settlement value are:
- All current medical bills
- Cost of future care
- Lost wages
- Seriousness of injuries and/or permanent injuries
You may have an injury that results in prolonged care, including chiropractic care, so you will want this to be factored into the settlement. If your state is an at-fault state, this means that the driver who caused the accident is responsible for all costs associated with injuries and property damage, which, of course, would mean your past, present, and future chiropractic care.
Settling a Case
As briefly mentioned above, you will want to contact an attorney as early as possible after a car accident that results in injury. He or she can ensure all the proper papers are filed on time in relation to the statute of limitations on the personal injury claim, which will vary from state-to-state.
Your attorney will also take care of accumulating all reports and bills, including securing testimony from expert witnesses and doctors, if needed, to justify the costs associated with your case.
Most of these types of cases are settled rather than going to trial, which, again, is where you can rely heavily on your attorney to know when you have received a fair offer from the defendant or his or her insurance company.
If you were recently involved in a car accident and suffered personal injuries and/or property loss, give us a call at 855-633-0888 to discuss your case. Your initial consultation is free of charge and you are under no obligation to use our services for discussing the case. Or, if you would like to learn more about our legal services before contacting us, click here.
Just remember, the clock starts ticking on the statute of limitations as soon as the accident occurs, so give us a call today.
Taryn J. White is a legal research specialist and Injury law news reporter. Her current accomplishments include helping those facing any injuries from vehicle accidents, workplace accidents, and medical malpractice.
